Showing posts with label Marxism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marxism. Show all posts

Friday, May 1, 2015

MAY DAY: Obama Administration Invitees Give Reagan Portrait the Middle Finger

A timely post about from www.yaf.org about Obama supporters and Ronald Reagan. This follows this post about the GOP who voted for Lynch.
You can follow me here.

reaganbird
By Jolie Stuart-Davis, Young America's Foundation Intern
On June 15th, President Obama hosted a reception at the White House. While here, two Philadelphia activists took time out of their visit to take photos of themselves giving President Reagan the middle finger.

This incident brings to light the unwarranted hate directed at President Reagan.

The 1980s saw several historic accomplishments that can be credited to President Reagan. Yet, there is still so much disrespect from the Left toward the late president. President Reagan helped create 20 million jobs bringing the U.S. out of the deep recession of the Carter administration, and he also signed the largest tax cut in U.S. history that dropped the taxes 25 percent across the board.

Reagan is not ranked as a successful president if you ask a college professor, but according to a recent Gallup poll, Americans vote him to be the "greatest president." Professors seem to forget about the fact that Reagan liberated 300 million from the oppressive Soviet Union and won the Cold War.

He had a successful presidency that should be acknowledged with respect and dignity, not the middle finger.

Jolie Stuart-Davis is a Sarah T. Hermann Intern Scholar at Young America's Foundation.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Vertical News: Giraffe Leg Ligaments, Elements of Design

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/  about creation. This follows this post about alternative lifestyles. This follows this post about a potential caliphate. For a free magazine subscription or to get the books recommended for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632. You can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!


Vertical News: Giraffe Leg Ligaments, Elements of Design





Printer-friendly version


What makes a giraffe stand tall?

giraffes
Source: freeimages.com/mcleod
They loom over us at the zoo and capture the imagination of children. Such an improbable animal is the giraffe with its huge bulk suspended over long, thin legs and covered with a hard-to-miss pattern. They water awkwardly and seem delicate from a distance, despite their height.
However, scientists have uncovered one element of the overall giraffe design that allows the improbable to be possible. In an unusually deep groove or channel on the lower leg bone is an exceptionally strong ligament that allows the great mass of bodyweight the giraffe carries to remain safely suspended above the ground.
Researchers used the remains of giraffes that had died in captivity to gather data to test the actual strength of this ligament system. These super-strong ligaments allow giraffe legs to remain stiff and require less muscle engagement and thus fatigue. The findings will be helpful to further study of giraffe anatomy and also to the study and development of robotics, which takes many of its cues from animal design (Victoria Gill, “Giraffe Legs’ Strong, Skinny Secret,” BBC at BBC.com, July 2, 2014).
Jesus Christ, who before his human birth was the Creator God, designed and brought into existence all the “creeping things” or living, land based creatures on the sixth day, shortly before he created the first man, Adam (Genesis:1:24-25). The giraffe, with its spectacular ligament design would have been among this phenomenal part of the creation. 


Friday, July 11, 2014

Study: Conservative Books Missing From Freshman Reading Programs

An interesting article from www.yaf.org about reading requirements in Universities. This follows this post about the President's failures in dealing with IraqYou can follow me at blogspot here and at twitter here https://twitter.com/brianleesblog. Please consider following both in case one goes down!




YAF Study: Conservative Books Missing From Freshman Reading Programs

                Posted by Ashley Pratte
Conservative Books Missing From Freshman Reading Programs
YAF Study: Are Conservative Books Left Out of Academia?
 
requiredreadingHERNDON, VA-Young America's Foundation (YAF) has discovered that conservative books are noticeably absent from the required reading programs for incoming college freshmen nationwide. YAF surveyed the top 50 schools as noted by Forbes, and of the schools that institute a freshman reading program, no conservative books were assigned to incoming students over the past three years.  The purpose of required reading, according to many of the schools implementing them, is to foster a sense of community among students through igniting university-wide discussions.  Not surprisingly, YAF found that many of the "required" books only offered left-wing perspectives on topics such as race, feminism, socialism, inequality, and wealth redistribution.
College administrators will say that students receive a balanced education at their institutions, but what really balances the Left on campus? Today's schools routinely omit conservative perspectives from campus dialogue, and "required reading" programs underscore this bias.  Examples of the books being assigned to incoming freshmen include Class Matters by The New York Times, which advocates against free-market principles, and Chimamanda Nogzi Adichie's Americanah, a fictional story of a young Nigerian woman and man who immigrated to the United States. Throughout the book, the author focuses on race and criticizes everyone but the protagonists for their prejudices.
Young America's Foundation believes young people should be exposed to a true liberal education-one that includes both liberal and conservative ideas, but there appears to be no balance in these readings that are required by colleges and universities. From the moment students enroll in college through graduation day, they are exposed to liberal themes-and few, if any, will read a conservative book or heard from a conservative professor.
The following is a sample of that books today's college freshman are required to read. It is clear that colleges and universities seek to indoctrinate students through assigned reading from the moment they enroll-before they even step foot in their classrooms.

For further information or to request an interview, please email Ashley Pratte at apratte@yaf.org
###
*Top colleges and universities are determined by Forbes

Executive Summary:
Institutions of higher learning do not encourage or present a balanced education which is apparent when YAF examined the courses offered, those selected as commencement speakers, and now the required reading programs which are before freshmen even step foot on campus.
Administrators say that students receive a balanced education, but when does that occur?  Past Young America's Foundation studies such as "The Dirty Dozen" show that course catalogues are full of liberal courses yet courses that present conservative ideas fairly are rare, and our annual "Commencement Speaker Survey" shows that liberal commencement speakers outnumber conservative ones often by a margin of 10-to-1.  There is a pattern in higher education that routinely omits conservative viewpoints.  It is important that students be exposed to both perspectives.
Young America's Foundation believes young people should be exposed to a true liberal education-one that includes all ideas- but there is no balance in these required readings. 


Young America's Foundation believes that students should also read books such as Free to Choose by Milton Friedman, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich von Hayek, I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream by Adam Shepard, Chinese Girl in the Ghetto by Ying Ma, or Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin.


Methodology:
This study is comprised of required readings for the Top 50 colleges and universities according to Forbes.  Young America's Foundation researched each of the colleges and examined their freshman required reading programs and compiled the data for the past three years.  After all the data was collected, each title was researched and looked at closely to determine the themes presented within the book.


A Sample of Liberal Required Readings
 
  1. Americanah by Chimamanda Nogzi Adichie (required at Duke University and Pomona College in 2014)
This is a fictional story of a young Nigerian woman and man who immigrate to the United States.  Throughout the book, the author delves heavily into concepts of race.  Yet, at the same time, she criticizes everyone but the protagonists for their prejudices.
"Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I'm Jamaican or I'm Ghanaian. America doesn't care." 

  1. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (required at Lafayette College in 2014)
This book argues that humanity is causing a sixth mass extinction due to global warming and advocates environmental sustainability.
"Meanwhile, an even stranger and more radical transformation is under way. Having discovered subterranean reserves of energy, humans begin to change the composition of the atmosphere." 

  1. Home  by Toni Morrison (required at UNC Chapel Hill 2013)
The novel delves into the life of a man trying to find his way home in segregated America.  It is filled with many leftist themes including identity and post-traumatic stress associated with race.
"Well, you know, doctors need to work on the dead poor so they can help the live rich."

  1. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide  by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (required at Wellesley College 2013 and Vanderbilt University 2012)
This book describes the "injustice" that women from around the world experience and what you, as a reader, can do to stop it.  It discusses the need for liberal humanists to reach out to conservative evangelicals and join forces in embracing multicultural concepts.  This book is filled with feminist ideas and theories.
"Sexism and misogyny. How else to explain why so many more witches were burned than wizards?"

  1. Eating Animals  by Jonathan Safran Foer (required at Duke University 2011)
A book delving into the modern food industry, mass production, and vegetarian world.  This book also goes into some anti-free market concepts.
"It shouldn't be the consumer's responsibility to figure out what's cruel and what's kind, what's environmentally destructive and what's sustainable. Cruel and destructive food products should be illegal. We don't need the option of buying children's toys made with lead paint, or aerosols with chlorofluorocarbons, or medicines with unlabeled side effects. And we don't need the option of buying factory-farmed animals." 

  1. Class Matters by The New York Times (required at Bryn Mawr College for 2011)
 The New York Times discusses class in America; in typical liberal fashion it advocates against free market principles by using shoddy economics and misguided facts.
"So it appears that while it is easier for a few high achievers to scale the summits of wealth, for many others it has become harder to move up from one economic class to another. Americans are arguably more likely than they were thirty years ago to end up in the class into which they were born."

  1. The Tenth of December  by George Saunders (required at Colgate University for 2013 and suggested at Swarthmore)
 This book is particularly ominous in its consideration of class and power.  Class anxiety is pervasive in this book and the author conveys a hatred of wealth and rich people.
"Do not really like rich people, as they make us poor people feel dopey and inadequate. Not that we are poor. I would say we are middle. We are very, very lucky. I know that. But still, it is not right that rich people make us middle people feel dopey and inadequate." 

  1. Acts of Faith  by Eboo Patel (required at Colgate University for 2011)
A story of an American Muslim and his thoughts on radicalization, it also contains some anti-American culture themes.
"It was in Islam that I found the clearest articulation of this inner struggle. The story goes like this: As a victorious Muslim army was celebrating its triumph in battle, the Prophet Muhammad told the men they had won only the "lesser jihad." Now, he said, they had to move on to the "greater jihad"-the jihad al-nafs, the struggle against their lower selves. The first time I read that, I felt as if the Prophet was speaking directly to me, as if he could see the thousands of times in my life that my lower self had won, as if he was personally returning Islam to my consciousness."

  1. The Life Before Us by Romain Gary (required at Cornell University for 2012)
This is the story of a young boy who lives in a whorehouse and was birthed by his prostitute mother.  The story is about him supporting a lady who lives there when she is no longer able to do so herself.  The book is full of supporting characters that are transvestites, pimps, and witch doctors.
"Seeing I was sad, Madame Rosa explained that family doesn't mean a thing and told me how some people tie their dogs to a tree and go off on vacation."

  1.  Beautiful Souls by Eyal Press (required by Brown University for 2013)
This book seeks to demonstrate the "positive" aspects of bold acts carried out by radicals who seek to overthrow the system.
"Yet confronting evil tends to be seen differently when it is committed in our name - when the perpetrators are not Germans or Rwandans but Americans carrying out abuses at places such as the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, a story that came to light after a reservist named Joseph Darby handed a CD full of incriminating photos to the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Division in 2004, one year before President Bush honored Pau Rusesabagina. Darby's reward was to be called a traitor and to receive a string of death threats that prompted him to move out of his hometown."
Click here for more information on our National Conservative Student Conference this summer!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Can atheists "prove" there is no God?

BLOGGERS NOTE: I WILL BE MOVING FROM FACEBOOK TO TWITTER AND BLOGSPOT SOON!


An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about atheism. This follows this post about changes after the Berlin Wall came down. For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886- 8632.   Youth Focus from Vertical Thought... The God Debate





article by Doug Horchak





Can atheists "prove" there is no God?



Recently, two of the world's most vocal atheists published books to defend their claim that there is no evidence for God's existence. Richard Dawkins ( The God Delusion ) and Christopher Hitchens ( God Is Not Great ) have presented their best arguments for their position that God does not exist and that religion poisons the world. Ironically, their own books provide much "evidence" to the contrary.



So what are their claims? Let's consider their reasoning and conclusions. Common arguments by atheists against God include:



• Comparing the God of Israel to all gods through history. In the minds of atheists, all gods take on the same value. Whether it is Zeus, Thor, Baal, Vulcan, Vishnu or the God of the Bible, there is no difference in their eyes. They conclude that all gods have been humanly contrived to accommodate the social and psychological needs of man.



• Discrediting the notion of God because of violence done in His name. As atheists evaluate history, they often note how many times violence, genocide, killing, rape, murder and war have happened in the name of God. Whether the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades or the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Africa, these types of violence are commonly cited as the hypocrisy of religion and a result of belief in God. Atheists conclude that there could be no benevolent, loving God behind this.



• Claiming errors and duplicity of Scripture. Many atheists deny the existence of the Judeo-Christian God based on alleged discrepancies of the Bible. Examples of biblical disagreements they cite include issues related to history, science, the teachings of Jesus, death, murder and war. If the Word of God—the Bible—contradicts itself, they reason, the book cannot represent the mind of an omniscient God.



• Showing that paganism is in mainstream Christianity. Both Dawkins and Hitchens cite the fact that, although mainstream Christianity claims its origins from Jewish forefathers and the writings of the Bible, much of its doctrine, ceremony, images and worship have their origins in pagan practices actually condemned in the Bible. They correctly note that the origins of Christmas and Easter (mainstays of many churches) come from Babylon, Egypt and Greece—not the true Creator God of the Bible.



Atheists point out that these practices are hypocritically borrowed from earlier pagan religions. If the forms of worship are this flawed, they reason that claims by these same worshippers that God really exists must likewise be hypocritical.



• Asking who designed God. When trying to debunk intelligent design (a movement of scientists claiming that the complexity of systems enabling all life to exist cannot be adequately explained by Charles Darwin's theory of evolution), atheists fall back to what they believe is the mother of all questions: Who designed or created God? In answer to Christians saying that God is the original cause of all things, they want to know who created Him. Since there is no acceptable answer to this question (at least to them), they believe that there clearly can be no God.



• Concluding that Darwinism must be true! Atheists believe that there is only one answer to the origin and development of life: that of Darwinian evolution. Most professors, teachers and scientists in the fields of zoology, anthropology and biology believe and teach this theory as fact. Atheists see this instruction by educators as further proof that there is no God.



When atheists make sense



You might be shocked to know that some of the observations from which atheists argue make perfect sense! When you consider the observations and knowledge of religion and history that avowed atheists embrace, it is easy to see why they struggle with believing in a Creator God! Much of the historical evidence of religion, biblical interpretation and deeds done in the name of God discredit religious people's efforts to justify their belief in God. Some facts to consider:



• The many gods in varied cultures through history do not represent the true God. These "gods" are, in fact, fictional and do not, nor have they ever, existed.



• The varied practices, doctrines and historic acts of Christians through the ages (in the Middle East, Europe, America and around the world) are confusing and hypocritical.



• The confused and often contradictory interpretations of the Holy Bible by so many denominations, sects, groups and individuals are mind-boggling. These individuals have misrepresented the Bible!



• Many of the practices that began in the church of Rome in the second and third centuries were borrowed from the pagan customs of the pre-Christian world. The observance of Christmas, Easter, New Year's Day and even worship on Sundays is not taught in the Bible!



A missing dimension, once again



The fact is, we do live in a world that is confused about virtually everything—including God, science, morality, religion and the Bible! While many people (like Hitchens and Dawkins) assume that the history of mankind and religion represents a God-centered worldview's best shot—actually, the opposite is true! The history of mankind generally represents man's rejection of God. Human history doesn't represent God at His best, but man at his worst!



For nearly 6,000 years man has been devising his own view of morality and life—which includes various forms of religion (including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.). What we see in the practice, teachings and history of these religions is too often generated and designed solely by human beings—not by God at all!



Jesus Christ told His disciples nearly 2,000 years ago that, as time went on, the masses would be deceived by many claiming to be His true representatives. He said: "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5 [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.





See All..., King James Version).



Put another way, the vast majority of the world's religions and religious leaders would be counterfeits. The result is that millions of people have been deceived by Satan the devil—the real ruler and god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.



See All...; Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.



See All...).



While there are as many views of the meaning of the Bible as there are religious sects, even this confusion was foretold by God! The written history of the God of Israel is unlike the accounts and historic writings referring to any other deity in human history. In the writings of the Holy Bible, God is referred to as transcending the physical realm, including the many gods conceived in the human mind. The gods of images and human imaginations are nothing compared to the invisible, all-powerful God of the Bible!



Evidence of a Creator



The Bible tells us that people, having the physical creation before them, are truly "without excuse" when it comes to knowing that God exists (Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:



See All...).



Interestingly, while the modern intelligent design movement acknowledges that the creation truly was created, a majority of educators deceptively decries the concepts of irreducible complexity and design inference as nonscience. Even so, a large and growing body of scientists and educators today realizes that this complex universe could not exist without some intelligence behind it!



In more than one place in the Bible, God tells us that "the fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalms 14:1(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.



See All...; 53:1). And yet, some of these same "fools" that have sadly rejected the idea of a loving, omniscient creator God do have a clear understanding of the hypocritical, confusing and often violent history of mankind and its many religions.



Their fundamental error is that they attribute such confusion and chaos in man's history to the best the idea of God can offer, when, in fact, man's sordid past (and his immediate future) are the result of man's rejecting the true Creator. GN

.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Christian Values Under Attack!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the assault on Christianity. This follows this post about Russian rivalry with the U.S.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Christian Values Under Attack!






article by Ralph Levy





Will you be leaving home for college this fall? If so, your Christianity is sure to be tested. Read this article for advice on how to remain strong.



The college years are often some of the greatest times of challenge for young people brought up in Christian homes. A college degree is essential for so many occupations. Yet four or more years of college or university often tear young Christians away from their foundation, at times destroying values and beliefs taught them by their parents and their churches.



Is it possible to survive college and hold on to Christian values? If so, what are the keys? And what are the big dangers in college life?



Challenge number one: anti-Christian philosophies

No matter where you go, you will probably have professors who don't share your beliefs, and who may even be openly hostile to them. Humanism and the various forms of Marxism or Communism are still popular philosophies in the world of postsecondary education. And even though these beliefs have less popularity outside of college, you will still need to be prepared to face them.



When I went to university in England, I suddenly found myself in a radical political environment. Those who didn't seek radical political change in some form or other were definitely in the minority. "Leftist" groups of many different stripes seemed to abound. The ideas of famous German philosopher Karl Marx were everywhere. Having never studied Marx before, I became fascinated, and then somewhat pulled in, before I finally (thankfully!) rejected those ideas.



Marx taught that history is driven by conflict between social classes, not by national, racial or religious conflict. The opening words of his Communist Manifesto read as follows: "The history of all ... society is a history of class struggles." From this flows the idea that as lower classes rise up in rebellion against their oppressors, society moves forward toward an ultimate utopia free of class distinctions and injustice.



I came to see the falseness and futility of these ideas. It was the Holy Bible, the Word of God, that helped me to see it. The Bible makes plain that evil isn't determined by who has his hands on the means of production in society. People from lower classes can be just as evil, just as selfish and just as prone to mistreat their neighbors as those from the privileged classes. And overturning it all, as Communists desire, might lead to only loss of freedom, bankrupt economies and, often, far worse abuses of power.



Another very common, but unchristian, philosophy encountered in college is humanism. Essentially, humanists believe "the solution is within us." They view human nature as inherently good and suggest that humankind's problems would be solved if only the good in us can be coaxed out. Most humanists deny any idea of the uniqueness of man or of life after death.



Again, humanism conflicts with what the Bible teaches us. The prophet Jeremiah made it very clear when he declared, "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.



See All...) and "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?



See All...). Of course, God knows this and is willing to help us change, once we make the choice to live the way He commands. King David of Israel discovered this and wrote of the changed heart in Psalm 51. Praying to God, he said, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (verse 10).



The solutions taught on many college campuses are really misleading. Humanity can't make it without God's help, no matter how reasonable the proposed solution may sound or how radical it may be!



Challenge number two: drugs and alcohol

A recent survey found that 49.7 percent of college students reported participating in "binge drinking" (defined as five or more drinks in one sitting) in the two weeks prior to completing the survey. The same survey showed that 64.5 percent had experienced a hangover from excessive drinking, 55.3 percent reported having been nauseated or vomiting, 40.5 percent had "done something I later regretted" and 12.3 percent reported they had been taken advantage of sexually while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.



Of all the students in the survey who had experienced unwanted sexual intercourse, 82.6 percent said they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when this occurred, while 76 percent of those reporting unwanted sexual touching said they were under the influence at the time (2001 Statistics on Alcohol and Other Drug Use on American Campuses ).



Abuse of alcohol and drugs is a big problem among college students. So what's a Christian to do? The Word of God makes it plain: "Hear, my son, and be wise ... Do not mix with winebibbers [in other words, avoid the parties where people are getting drunk or taking drugs!] ... for the drunkard ... will come to poverty" (Proverbs 23:19Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.



See All... -21).



And don't forget that you can always get up and leave. If the drugs begin to circulate or people are getting drunk, the Christian can always say, "Thank you for the invitation, but I have to leave now." You might be surprised to see others get up and leave with you!



Challenge number three: sexual immorality

Recent research shows fewer high school students are having sex now compared to 10 years ago and that the majority of high school graduates are virgins. But the picture changes drastically in college.



A report in the December 2001 issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior indicates that 71 percent of unmarried college students reported being sexually experienced. Breaking it down further, 64 percent reported one sexual partner in the 30 days prior to the survey, while 30 percent reported no sexual partners in that time. Presumably, the remaining 6 percent had been with two or more partners in the month prior to the survey.



College will present challenges to young Christians wanting to remain morally pure! Perhaps the greatest challenge to your character and determination will come in this area. How can you protect yourself?



First, choose your environment carefully. It may be wise to stay at home or with close relatives while in college. That way you can avoid the noise, drugs and excessive drinking you would have to face in many college dorms.



If you're going away from home, it's a good idea to find roommates with whom you share certain basic values. Look for people you'll get along with and who will commit to having no drugs, no illegal or excessive drinking and no boyfriend or girlfriend sleepovers. Sit down and discuss these things with potential roommates before committing to sharing a room with them.



If there's no choice but to live in a dorm, you might try to find one where other Christians are living. Fraternities and sororities are often the most free-living dorms, and should usually be avoided. But there are fraternities and sororities that are organized on a set of values, such as service to the community or basic Christian morality.



Anything you can do to be in the company of people who will help you maintain your Christian values is something to be pursued. The Bible tells us that "evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Corinthians 15:33Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.



See All...), and, conversely, that "whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.



See All..., New Revised Standard Version). Like it or not, we're all heavily influenced by the company we keep.



A source of help: true Christian fellowship

One of the big keys to holding on to your Christian faith during the college years is the Church. Keep going to Church! In fact, during this time when your faith is being assaulted, you really need more time with like-minded Christians than you did before. Spiritual camaraderie and adding to your Christian knowledge offer tremendous encouragement.



Hold on to your source of strength during your college years. Take the time for prayer, for study of the Scriptures and for true Christian fellowship to help you through. Build the bonds in Christ, and survive the college years—with your Christian faith not just intact, but strengthened! VT

.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Societal Consequences of Darwinism

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the consequences to society due to Darwanism. This follows this post about India and China in conflict.   For a free magazine subscription or to get this book for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Societal Consequences of Darwinism


The consequences of accepting Darwinian theory have been profound. Enormous moral and social damage has been wrought in classrooms and to society.



The consequences of accepting Darwinian theory have been profound. Enormous moral and social damage has been wrought in classrooms and to society. The theory that led Darwin to discard the Bible and reject the existence of God has had a profound effect on millions of other people.



It is no coincidence that Karl Marx, the father of communism, out of gratitude to Darwin, sent him Das Kapital, his principal book on communism. "Although developed in the crude English fashion," Marx wrote to his communist colleague Friedrich Engels, "this [Darwin's Origin of Species ] is the book which in the field of natural history, provides the basis for our views." To another he wrote that Darwin's work "suits my purpose in that it provides a basis in natural science for the historical class struggle" (Janet Browne, Charles Darwin: The Power of Place, 2002, p. 188).



This evolutionary backing eventually helped establish the philosophical framework for the twin scourges of communism and atheism in Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Cambodia, North Korea and many other nations.



"Genocide, of course," writes Phillip Johnson, "is merely a shocking name for the process of natural selection by which one gene pool replaces another. Darwin himself explained this in The Descent of Man, when he had to deal with the absence of 'missing links' between ape and human. Such gaps were to be expected, he wrote, in view of the extinctions that necessarily accompany evolution.



"He coolly predicted that evolution would make the gaps wider in the future, because the most civilized (that is, European) humans would soon exterminate the rest of the human species and go on from there to kill off our nearest kin in the ape world. Modern Darwinists do not call attention to such passages, which make vivid how easily the picture of amoral nature inherent in evolutionary naturalism can be converted into a plan of action" ( Reason in the Balance, 1995, p. 144).



Later Adolf Hitler indeed applied the Darwinian concept of the "survival of the fittest" to the human race. During World War II the Nazis forcibly sterilized more than 2 million people and began systematically exterminating people whom Hitler considered to be inferior. The Nazis justified their atrocities by rationalizing that they were doing mankind a service with "genetic cleansing" to improve the races.



As long as evolution—with its implications of amorality and the survival-of-the-fittest mentality among "superior" and "inferior" races —is accepted and believed, genocide, as sporadic ethnic cleansings in various parts of the globe show, will have a scientific justification, even though most believers in Darwinian theory would object to this conclusion.



The Bible foretells that, before Jesus Christ's return, a worldwide commercial system will include the trading of "bodies and souls of men" (Revelation 18:9-13 [9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

[10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

[11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

[12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

[13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.





See All...). Could this really happen? One only has to remember the Nazi holocaust. Hundreds of thousands were pressed into slave labor. Those too weak, ill, young or old to work faced a merciless death.



Remember, such events happened barely a generation ago in what were considered to be the most advanced and enlightened nations. It could happen again, especially in a world in which so many have adopted a belief in moral relativism and a survival-of-the-fittest outlook.



Friday, August 3, 2012

Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America

A very interesting book review from www.Amazon.com about problems America faces such as socialism and unrestrained immigration. This follows this post  about the problems of a corrupt culture. This follows this post about media's affect on the family.  This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can read another very interesting book HERE.

Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America


Mark R. Levin



 The intense ideological battle for the heart and soul of America is really nothing new...it has been raging since antiquity.,
By Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews

(VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America (Hardcover)

Take a look around at the sad state of our nation. In the 100 years since the self-proclaimed "progessive" Woodrow Wilson was President of these United States Americans have slowly but surely been ceding their rights and liberties to the state. The "masterminds" in our government, those who are so cock-sure that they know what is best for the rest of us, have been systemically consolidating their power and building a mammoth bureaucracy designed to control nearly every aspect of our lives. Then in 2008 the American people elected Barack Obama who promised to "fundamentally change America". Obama has taken the "statist" agenda to a whole new level and most Americans have become increasingly alarmed at the direction this country is headed in. The battle lines have been drawn and the 2012 election will no doubt prove pivotal in the ultimate direction our nation will take. Those of us who favor the traditional American values of hard work, freedom of speech and free enterprise are going to have to articulate our case in the best possible way to a wider audience of our fellow Americans in order to win the day. Lawyer, author and syndicated radio talk show host Mark R. Levin has given us all a huge assist in this regard with the release of his powerful new book "Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America". Drawing on the writings of the great philosophers on both ends of the political spectrum Levin provides his readers with a plethora of devastating arguments against the direction Obama and the progressives in both political parties are taking this nation. It is a truly compelling read!



I think that it is fair to say that most Americans have only a passing knowledge of the writings of philosophers such as Plato, Thomas More, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu and Alexis de Toqueville. Some would attribute this to the "dumbing down of America" that has been inexorably taking place in our schools over the past half-century or so. But the truth is that all of these individuals as well as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels have exerted a great deal of influence over American political thought in the 235 years of our nation's existence. Plato, More, Hobbes and of course Karl Max all come down on the side of "collectivist" or "utopian" states whereby individuals must necessarily become subservient to the interests of the state. In such an environment individuals "must be managed and suppressed by masterminds for the greater good." There is no tolerance for individual self-interest or even self-preservation. A person's labor and property belong to the state or are controlled by the state. Citing lengthy excerpts from the extensive writings of each of these individuals, Levin points out the obvious flaws in this line of thinking. Mr. Levin succeeds in arming his readers with the ammunition they will need to refute the arguments offered by the leftists and statists in this country on a wide variety of issues like universal health care, the progressive income tax and an ever-expanding and intrusive federal government. To paraphrase an old boxing expression "in this corner" we have the Barack Obama's, Nancy Pelosi's, Lincoln Chafee's and Chuck Schumer's of the world.



Part Two of "Ameritopia" hones in on the writings of John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Alexis de Toqueville who all champion a much smaller, less intrusive government. John Locke in particular had an enormous influence on our Founding Fathers as they went about the rough and tumble business of fashioning the Constitution. It is an indisputable fact that for most of the history of the world mankind has been ruled by despots and repressive governments. The Founding Fathers wanted something much different. John Locke wrote that "laws made by men and governments without the consent of the government are illegitimate and no man is bound to them." Regarding personal property rights Locke explained that there is always going to be an unequal distribution of property resulting from the manner in which a man applies his labor. This is just plain common sense. "As much land as a man tills, plants, improves, cultivates and can use the product of, so much is his property. He by his labor does, as it were, enclose it from the common. He gave it to the use of the industrious and rational; not to the fancy or covetousness of the quarrelsome and contentious." Amen! Meanwhile, another major influence on the thinking of the Founding Fathers was the French philosopher Charles de Montesquieu. Montesquieu warned of "the dangers of a republican government attempting to transform a civil society--including superceding the effects of religion, family, commerce, traditions, customs, mores etc. through legal coercion." Sounds like a page from the Saul Alinsky handbook does it not? Finally, Montesquieu goes on to observe that "There are two sorts of tyranny: a real one, which consists of the violence of the government, and one of opinion, which is felt when those who govern establish things that run counter to a nation's way of thinking." Many of us would argue that this is precisely what has been going on for the past three years.



In the final section of "Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America" Mark Levin explains how the statists have advanced their agenda over the past eight decades and why the 2012 elections stand as a watershed in American history. The choices we face have never been more clear. If you are one of those people still sitting on the fence I urge you to read "Ameritopia". Meanwhile, if you are someone who is largely in agreement with the principles espoused by our Founding Fathers I would wholeheartedly encourage you to pick up a copy of "Ameritopia" as well. Mark Levin's compelling book will help to crystallize the arguments in your mind as your attempt to educate your friends, relatives and neighbors in the coming months leading up to the election. Kudos to Mark Levin for an extremely well thought-out and well-executed project. Very highly recommended! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse
Permalink

 Ameritopia,
By Polokfla - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America (Hardcover)

Once again, through very researched detail and very precise wording, Mr. Levin gives us all a very ominous warning about what type of government growth we are careening towards and to what extent our personal liberties will necessarily be lost to that end. The book seems to be condensed to the point where re-reading usually brings out even more points to consider.

If you love what our country has always stood for and honestly want our Democratic-Republic to endure-this is a must read.

And very hard to argue with, hence the ratings attack by the lefists in this review section. It is their modus to simply slime something that they can not logically argue with.

Read and enjoy, then let it stew a week or so then re-read. You're bound to miss something the 1st time. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse
Permalink

 A reaffirmation of liberty, inalienable rights, civil society, and constitutional republicanism,
By John R. Smith "Mr. Smith Goes to New Hampshire" (NH) - See all my reviews

(REAL NAME) This review is from: Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America (Hardcover)

If there is one statement that defines Mark R. Levin's work, it is that America's success is based in liberty and that we must not allow ourselves to fall into tyranny. Of course, no one supports tyranny blatantly and so defending liberty is thought to be easy. But the people who support tyranny don't always do so blatantly. In this book, Levin shows how people throughout the ages have supported tyranny through an ideology called utopianism, and thus ushered in tyranny through "intellectual bankruptcy and dishonesty."



In the first part of AMERITOPIA, Levin examines the work of four historical figures, Plato, Thomas More, Hobbes, and Marx. In this treatment, Levin shows how each one promoted what was considered an ideal society and how each one of these ideals is no more than tyranny. In each case, the ideal society contains a highly centralized government which controls the masses through various means--persuasion, deceit, coercion, eugenics, euthanasia--and therefore tears apart the family, community, and faith.



In the second part, Levin counters this with a survey of three thinkers that helped introduce liberty to the Western mindset and establish what he calls Americanism--John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Alexis de Tocqueville. Levin shows how each one viewed human beings as autonomous individuals with God-given abilities and rights. With lawyerly precision, Levin details the many examples of how both Locke and Montesquieu influenced the founders of the United States and how Tocqueville spread Americanism to the European culture of the 19th century.



Finally, Levin explains how the America built upon Locke, Montesquieu, and Tocqueville is at risk of being taken over by the utopian ideology in the 21st century, showing how the various modern movements of liberalism and modern socialism disseminate their intellectual bankruptcy and dishonesty.



The argument is bound to cause a stir, and Levin's penetrating commentary is grounded well by quotes from the original texts. If there is a major flaw in the work, it is in the unforgiving denunciation of the utopian literary genre. While it is clear that most of the works technically classed utopia did include tyrannical elements, the genre is not aimed at building political systems. It is aimed at exploring new possibilities. And while I cannot deny that some pro-liberty works refute the idea of utopianism, Levin cannot deny the fact that some elements of pro-liberty and American texts include visions of the perfect society. Everyone has a vision of what would be ideal--some are made of tyranny, and others can be seen as the "shining city on the hill" and are made of freedom. This says to me that it is not utopia that is at fault, but rather tyranny. Indeed, if utopias are promotions of the ideal society, then it must be said that all active minds engage in the exercise.



Altogether, the point of this book is absolutely correct. America's success is based on liberty and allowing ourselves to fall into tyranny would be catastrophic for humanity. Everyone who is interested in this very important theme and is compelled to do something about it should also consider an excellent book which offers a grand summary of modern economics, how we got to where we are, and what to do about it--Juggernaut: Why the System Crushes the Only People Who Can Save It by Eric Robert Morse.